


When Ned Came Along

by DarkPhoenixGoddess10



Series: Richard and Anne: One-shots [34]
Category: The White Queen (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-03
Updated: 2015-10-03
Packaged: 2018-04-24 12:41:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4919977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkPhoenixGoddess10/pseuds/DarkPhoenixGoddess10
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the same verse as "When I First Kissed Your Mother"</p><p>The day when Ned was born - on the day of his father's birthday, October 2nd.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When Ned Came Along

**Author's Note:**

  * For [QueenPunzie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenPunzie/gifts).



"Happy birthday to you; happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Richard! Happy birthday to you!"

Richard blew the candles and everyone clapped.

After his mother Cecily handed him a kitchen knife to cut the cake, Anne nudged him and gave him a look. Richard knew what she meant. Rolling his eyes, he cut the cake and placed two pieces on a plate.

"Here you go," he said, handing the plate to Anne. "For you and for our son."

Anne, very pleased, nodded.

"So when's your due date?" Liz asked her.

"In two weeks," Anne replied, eating her cake. "I can't believe this. We are celebrating Richard's birthday today and in two weeks, we will be celebrating another birthday."

"And have you decided the name of your kid?" Liz's mother, Jacquetta Woodville asked.

"Richard," Anne answered without a hesitation. "We have decided on that name since day one."

Rubbing her big belly, her face was full of happiness. Surrounded by family and loved ones, Anne felt secure and pleasant. Soon, she would be back in school as well. She had enrolled in an online program with University of Chicago to earn her Bachelor's Degree in Journalism; her classes would begin in next spring - perfect timing. It'd give her enough time to grasp on motherhood.

Within minutes, Anne devoured the cakes and asked for more. Richard was filling her plate with more cakes while she got up and went to the bathroom.

***

She had been in the bathroom for a long time.

"Anne?" Richard knocked on the door.

He heard flushing.

And then the door opened.

"Richard," Anne murmured, tried to hold down her nervousness. "It's happening."

"What is happening?"

"Our boy, he is coming."

"Now?" Richard couldn't believe what he just heard. "Now?"

"Yes, now! My water broke...I think."

"Okay," Richard tried to sound calm. "He is coming and we will have another member of the family living here with us...for eighteen years-"

"We need to head to the hospital!" Anne exclaimed. "Do something!"

"Oh...okay!" Richard reached for his phone. "I'm going to call the hospital and you are going to get Isabel. We are heading to the hospital and come back with our kid!" Then he bolted out and yelled "Hey everyone! Party is over! Anne and I have to head to the hospital because our kid has decided to join us today! Because it's my birthday!"

Everyone - George, Isabel, Ed, Richard and Ann Neville, Cecily York, Liz, Jacquetta, Rob, Francis, Veronica - looked at him blankly.

Only a second later they realized what he was saying.

Ann and Isabel rushed to be at Anne's side; Rob and Francis went to congratulate Richard, who tried to call the hospital; Cecily went to hug her son.

A moment later, Anne was escorted out by her sister and mother by her side.

"I'll drive," Richard Neville offered.

"No, I'm riding with Richard," Anne insisted.

It was something they had planned and agreed on - they want to be together every step of the way.

***

Richard and Ann Neville waited in the hospital's lobby with George and Isabel. Ed and Liz were there as well with Cecily. But Richard and Anne were nowhere in sight.

"Where are they?" Ann asked.

Isabel asked the front desk but apparently they have yet arrived.

Finally, Richard rushed by with Anne in a wheelchair, holding a stuffed lion.

It turned out that they got here at around the same time the others got to the hospital. When they swung passed by the gift shop, Anne wanted to buy a stuffed animal. She found all the stuffed animals adorable but couldn't decide on which one. Finally, Richard picked out a stuffed lion and they left with that.

***

All settled in her delivery room, with caring nurses adjusting her pillows, Anne placed her hand in Richard's.

"How are you feeling Annie?" Isabel asked.

"Oh I am fine," Anne replied. "Nothing yet."

And at the end of her voice - her contraction came.

She grabbed on Richard's hand and gritted her teeth.

"Breathe! Breathe!" A voice instructed. "And breathe!"

After the wave of contraction was over, Anne looked up and found a decent young man in scrubs standing before her. He wiped her forehead and introduced himself, "Hi, my name is Eddie and I am your nurse midwife. I will be taking care of you."

Anne looked at him in disbelief.

First he looked a little too young for the job; and second, a guy to be a midwife...

"I have done this many times," Eddie went on. "I can assure you everything will be fine."

"Can I have something to drink?" Anne asked.

"No," Eddie replied. "But I can fetch you some ice chips."

With that said, he left the delivery room.

"Don't worry, he's only a nurse," Ann comforted her daughter. "The doctor will take care of everything."

***

_Five hours later..._

Anne was all frustrated in bed.

They only saw the doctor, once.

She came in, said a few words, and then went out.

And it wasn't the time to push the baby out yet.

"Don't argue with the doctor, honey," Ann comforted her daughter. "She's an expert in this area; you have to trust her."

"But five hours went by already!" Anne whined. "I want my baby!"

And Eddie waltzed in again with more ice chips.

"Not so happy are we?" He asked with a sense of humor.

"My wife and I are frustrated," Richard replied. "And fyi - today's my birthday-"

Before he could finish, Eddie raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so I see. You'd like to see him born today and we still have six hours before the clock strikes midnight."

"Why can't I have the baby now?" Anne demanded.

"Think of your body like a temple, and your cervix is like a gate," Eddie explained. "Your _gate_ has not opened wide enough for the baby to come out."

"Then can you do something to open the gate a little bit wider?" Anne asked.

"No," Eddie answered as matter-of-factly. "It is what it is."

With that said, he left again.

"This man is really getting on my nerve," Anne huffed.

And then Eddie popped his head back again.

"You don't have to just lying in bed," he said. "You can take a walk. It helps."

***

After a few steps of walking, another wave of contraction came. Anne held on to Richard, who assisted her back in bed.

"How many more hours?" Anne asked.

"Five more," Richard replied, stroking her hair.

"Where is the doctor?"

Before she could say another word, the pain came again.

This time it was more intense.

To her disappointment, it was Eddie who came to her delivery room at this moment.

He looked between Anne's legs and then exclaimed, "Your time has come! I am going to get the doctor now!"

He rushed out and came back with the doctor.

"Okay, everyone out except for the father!"

Now there was only Anne and Richard.

***

"Push!"

"I am!" Anne could hardly breathe.

"One more!"

"You said it a million times!"

"One more!"

"Come on Anne, I see the head!" Richard encouraged her.

After two more pushes, finally, they heard a cry.

"Richard," Anne whispered. "Time..."

"It's 11:30 PM," Eddie replied. "It's still your birthday."

He placed the baby in Anne's arms. "Congratulations."

"Our Richard, born on the day of his father's birthday," Anne murmured and Richard gave her a kiss.

The baby suddenly cried very loudly, as if he was protesting something.

"I don't think he likes the name," Eddie commented.

"It is your father's name, and the name of your two grandfathers," Richard said to his newborn son. "Your mother and I have decided to name you Richard since we found out that you are coming along."

But the baby continued to cry.

"I think Edward is a better name," Eddie said.

Upon hearing that, the baby stopped crying.

***

So the baby was named Edward York.

Ed was flattered, fully convinced that his new nephew was named after him.

Regardless what his name was, Anne was overjoyed to see her son arrived safe and sound.

With her husband by her side and her son in her arms, she watched with tears in her eyes when a cupcake was paced before her and a candle was lightened.

Together, they celebrated the birthday of her son and her husband.

By the time the candle was blown, the clock strike midnight.


End file.
